The invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning and optionally also additionally disinfecting respirators or component parts of respirators. The invention also relates to a holder for use in a cleaning device and to a use of a cleaning device and to a method for cleaning respirators. Such devices and methods are generally used for cleaning respirators or component parts of the same, for example respirators for members of rescue teams such as firefighters, technical aid agencies or paramedics, respirators for divers or generally people who work in hostile or critical environments and for members of military forces and security forces, such as for example the police. The proposed devices and methods can also be used for respirators in the medical sector, for example breathing masks for supplying oxygen and for carrying out operations. In particular, the cleaning of breathing masks or breathing regulators in general comes into consideration as an area of use.
Respirators, such as for example protective breathing masks or breathing regulators, generally form part of the personal protective equipment of members of rescue teams, military forces or security forces. For instance, many respirators for various intended uses are known from the prior art. For example, members of rescue teams such as firefighters use protective breathing masks with filters for removing harmful constituents from the respiratory air that is taken in. In many cases, however, a device known as a breathing regulator is used as an alternative or in addition to a filter, allowing the user to be ventilated with a respiratory gas, for example compressed air. Breathing regulators generally enable a user to breathe from a pressurized gas cylinder or some other pressurized gas connection and in this way stay under water, for example, or in some other atmosphere that cannot be breathed in or is toxic. For this purpose, the pressurized gas, for example compressed air, from the pressurized gas connection is adapted by the breathing regulator to a pressure prevailing in the user's working environment.
After each time they are used, the respirators or component parts of the same must generally be cleaned, hygienized, dried, checked, and repaired if necessary, and packed. The cleaning is intended to remove all contamination as a result of use or storage, so that the respirators can be provided in a macroscopically clean and hygienically satisfactory state, for example for the next steps of preparation. These requirements generally also apply to other component parts of respirators, such as for example add-on and accessory parts of breathing masks, such as for example filters or breathing regulators. Since respirators or the component parts thereof are generally safety devices, a number of requirements have to be observed when cleaning these devices. Apart from adequate cleaning and hygienization, in many cases it is for example necessary to ensure that accessory parts remain assigned to the respective breathing masks for technical reasons. Furthermore, there is generally the requirement that gas carrying regions of certain elements of respirators, for example gas carrying regions of breathing regulators, must not come into contact with cleaning fluid, for example water and/or cleaning solution.
In many cases, respirators, such as for example breathing masks and accessories thereof, are either cleaned manually or in modified laundry washing machines with the aid of protective bags and/or with the aid of adapters. For example, EP 0 935 687 B1 generally discloses a washing machine which has a tub with a drum. A shell of the drum has a bulged structure directed toward the interior of the drum, with holes at corner points of outer contours of the bulging directed toward the exterior of the drum. With such washing machines it is possible in principle to clean items of equipment for members of rescue teams particularly gently.
EP 1 088 928 A1 discloses a holding system for protective breathing masks in a laundry treatment machine. The holding system has a carrying strut, which is arranged in a drum of the laundry treatment machine to rotate therewith, and to which the protective breathing masks can be connected.
DE 200 03 743 U1 and DE 298 22 172 U1 respectively disclose devices for treating protective suits. In these cases, clothes hangers which comprise flexible air outlet nozzles are used. The clothes hangers are respectively fastened to a pivoting device. Cleaning of respirators is generally not possible, or only with difficulty, by means of the devices shown.
DE 10 2005 033 618 B3 discloses a device for cleaning protective breathing masks. The device comprises a closable housing and at least one receptacle for at least one protective breathing mask, arranged in a carrier. Also provided are a nozzle arrangement and a brush arrangement, a movement of the protective breathing masks allowing them to be brushed. However, an individual assignment and cleaning of accessory parts of masks is not possible by means of the device disclosed. Furthermore, the cleaning of gas carrying elements, such as for example breathing regulators, is not possible with the device disclosed. DE 200 03 744 U1 also discloses a device for cleaning, disinfecting and drying protective breathing masks that has a carrying frame with an assigned nozzle system and individual treatment locations. This device is also not suitable in principle for cleaning gas carrying elements and accessory parts.
DE 10 2007 009 936 A1 discloses a cleaning device for compressed air respirators. This device has a receiving space bounded by a protective grid and rotating nozzle carriers. The nozzle carriers are in this case located outside the protective grid. However, a disadvantage of the device presented is that cleaning liquid can penetrate into gas carrying regions.
By contrast, the cleaning of sensitive components of respirators, such as for example breathing regulators, is generally performed manually. If necessary, manual cleaning can be assisted by placement in ultrasonic cleaning devices. However, DE 10 2007 012 768 B4 discloses a method and a device for cleaning breathing regulators. In this case, the items to be cleaned are fitted onto holders of a rotating element and repeatedly immersed in a liquid bath with cleaning liquid, disinfecting liquid and rinsing liquid. In this case, to seal them, breathing respirators first have compressed air applied to them between the valve and the tube connection and are then immersed in the liquid bath. However, a disadvantage of such immersion methods is that complex holders with corresponding actuators are required in order to ensure by appropriate movements that cleaning fluid is removed from the various cavities after cleaning.
From the associated medical field, washers in which ventilating tubes can be rinsed are also known. Such washers are generally designed as single-circuit machines, also referred to as water-changing machines. This means that the washers have a rinsing container, in which the cleaning and the conditioning of the cleaning liquid take place. For changing a cleaning liquid, for example for changing from a washing liquid to a final rinsing liquid, a complete change of the water within the container is required.
The known methods and devices for cleaning respirators, such as for example protective breathing masks and the accessory parts thereof, have many disadvantages. For instance, manual cleaning of the respirators is very labor-intensive. Moreover, the cleaning process is in this case greatly influenced by the individual cleaning force and, as a result, can scarcely be standardized.
By contrast, the cleaning in modified laundry washing machines is comparatively time-intensive. Moreover, after cleaning, the respirators or component parts thereof are in many cases filled inside with cleaning fluid, since they are either arbitrarily arranged in the drum of the washing machine or since their position within the drum is fixed and cannot be specifically influenced, so that the respirators generally cannot drain when the cleaning procedure is ended. Accessory parts usually cannot be cleaned at the same time in the washing machine, since during the process they often become detached from the item to which they are individually assigned.
Particularly critical with the known methods and devices is the cleaning of gas carrying elements of the respirators, such as for example one or more pipelines, tubes or valves and/or breathing regulators. For such breathing regulators, so far only a few automated cleaning methods that would satisfy the aforementioned safety requirements have been available. On the other hand, the cleaning method known from DE 10 2007 012 768 B4 has the aforementioned disadvantages and is comparatively complex. Furthermore, the device presented does not at the same time make it possible to clean, and if necessary disinfect, breathing regulators and protective breathing masks as well as accessory parts. Washers from the associated medical field that have been adapted for cleaning masks are not suitable either for cleaning and sufficiently hygienizing breathing regulators.